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You Never Regret a Run?

How true is the common saying, “You never regret a run, but you do regret skipping one”?

I’ve used that mantra many times to get me out the door on less than motivated days, but there are actually quite a few days where I HAVE regretted running. The most recent was this week when I came down with a horrible cold. I had problems with everything from my chest up – chest congestion, sore throat, sinus headache, stuffy nose, runny nose, ear aches – you name it, I had it. The first day, I could barely pull myself out of bed – no run. The second day, I was able to put on a happy face and move around, but wasn’t feeling much better. I was exhausted so I thought “what do I always do to give myself energy and feel better? RUN! Yes, I’m going to run!”

I got dressed and headed out the door. I felt a pounding headache the first step I took. When I wasn’t feeling any better a little over a mile in, I shut it down and went home. The rest of the night I felt horrible. The next day I felt sick again. I think a rest day would have been better than attempting that run.

Pic of me laying down a speedy 5k last summer, where it was ok to be filled with pain. Also shows how I looked on my entire "sick run" a few days ago.

Or what about the countless times where I’ve run through an injury and had to take weeks and months off when a few days off at the beginning might have cured the problem before it became huge?

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m a run-every-day-no-matter-what (almost) type of girl, but I really feel there are some days where you just need to stay home and be okay with it. Train smart, friends!

What do you think? Have you ever regretted a run? Run through a bad cold/flu/injury?

10 thoughts on “You Never Regret a Run?”

I just went throught this this past week! Been sick since last Wednesday. Thought I was better Saturday morning, so decided to go on a much needed 8 miler and thought I was going to dye before finishing. I ended making myself worse! I have been resting since then and finally got an antibiotic yesterday. I have learned to never push it when you may possibly still be sick! REST is the key. Ready to get a run in tonight after 4 days of rest!

I don’t like that saying either. It’s been floating around facebook lately. I’ve regretted runs more than once. Days where I should have postponed because of exhaustion or sickness. Earlier this week I ran a workout in tough conditions. The results were ridiculous and I thought I should have waited until another day or time. Totally regretted that one!

When I am training under my brother he always tells me to push back workouts or take easy days when the conditions are bad. Right now I’m not following one of his plans so I’m not being as smart with my training. It’s so funny how I can tell other people to skip a workout but it’s hard to step back and follow it myself!

I don’t know if everyone is referring to the Saucony add “I really regret that workout -said no one, ever” or something different. but my take on it was actually, motivating to the people that struggle to get out the door to workout. Which isn’t me or you most likely, but the majority of people. I know many people who struggle with this on an every day basis and I appreciate brands trying to motivate them. Because most of the time it is true. They are so much happier they did their workout than not.

For me actually it’s always true. Yes I have over trained myself into injuries and ran harder or more when I shouldn’t. But all of those mistakes I have learned from. So in that respect, no I don’t regret any run. Because they are all learning tools whether the outcome was positive or negative. That’s what makes us a smarter runner.

You have a few good points, Kristy! The big brands using sayings to motivate others can be really great. Also, I really learn a lot from mistakes too, and they are definitely necessary! (though I also make the same mistakes over and over, especially when it comes to running!) I never saw the Saucony ad until I posted this today and someone forwarded it to me. I have heard the saying for years from elite athletes on Twitter and I always felt like I was slacking because they post things like that so maybe if I want to be better I should push through pain, sickness, whatever to get to the next level. That was my point of this post… more for people with my crazy mindset who keep pushing to get to the next level when it isn’t the smartest.

I hate this quote. There’s one particular run that I regret. When I was 14, I went for a run – my third time out as a little newbie runner, training for cross country the summer before my freshman year of high school. About a mile away from my house, I was attacked from behind by a guy they never ended up catching. 31 years and an on-and-off running career later, I still think about it every single time I go out for a run. For a long time, it kept me from running, but my ol’ pal running kept coming back to me saying, “Hey…it wasn’t ME that did it to you, it was that creep.” The joys of running overshadow all the crap, but it’s still hard – especially when a quote like this pops up and I unexpectly get angered like I haven’t in years. Not to be dramatic, but I really feel for the families of the women (and men) who have been killed running – either murdered or hit by cars – who read a quote like this. Hey…sometimes you DO regret a run! For many reasons. But 95% of the time…man oh man, it’s just beautiful. 😀

Wow, Molly. Thank you for sharing this story! I think you hit on an important point that I definitely missed in this post – SAFETY!
I’m glad you were able to come back and enjoy running again, even though the memories still haunt you. And I agree, “95% of the time it’s just beautiful”!!